It seems every cable
network and their sister (station) has a gambling
show on this days. Well, after holding the monopoly
on blackjack shows, GSN has decided to join the
crowd and host the World Poker Players Association
Championship. At the Orleans Hotel and Casino in
Vegas, 72 players put up $5000 each to play a
no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament. We pick up the
action with the final two tables. 18 players are
left to battle it out for a first-place prize of
$125,420.
But there's a TWIST to this tournament. The winner
of the tournament will not only walk away with the
WPPA Title... but will then have a chance to split
$10 million with a lucky viewer by playing one more
hand!
Your host is recent Celebrity Poker Showdown
Finalist and Saturday Night Live alumnus
Kevin Nealon. Your "poker expert" for this ep is the
lovely and talented Evelyn Ng.
Now, unlike my lengthy recaps of the WPT and CPS,
since this show shows all hands but not all bets, I
am forced to just recap the key hands through
commentary. We start with the chip count for the
main televised table:
CHIP COUNT - MAIN
TABLE
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
89,850
|
|
Paul Wolfe
|
54,500
|
|
Chau Giang
|
42,700
|
|
Jim Meehan
|
34,900
|
|
Kathy Leibert
|
14,900
|
|
John Esposito
|
10,300
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
8750
|
|
Ed Pellergrini
|
5500
|
|
Terry Myers
|
3200
|
Let's shuffle up and
deal as we go to the main table of nine players!
|
Cardoza |
Esposito |
| A?
Q? |
4?
4? |
|
Esposito goes
all-in with his "sailboats" against Cardoza's
Big Chick. Cardoza calls the all-in by going
all-in himself. It's a virtual coin flip with
18,550 chips up for grabs.
|
|
FLOP: 2? 3? Q? |
|
The Flop goes to Cardoza's favor, getting a
pair of Queens. He's 89% to win now. Esposito
needs a four to knock Cardoza out.
|
TURN: 7?
RIVER: K?
|
| Q? Q?
K? 7? A? |
4?
4?
K? Q? 7? |
| WIN 18,550 |
|
| Giang |
Esposito |
|
Q? Q? |
A?
8? |
|
Esposito, feeling
cocky, goes all-in
again. But Giang not only calls but his "Seigfreid
& Roy" is a 68% fave. Only 5000 chips in the
center this time.
|
|
FLOP: 10? 6?
10? |
|
That all but shuts the door on Esposito. He's
in DIRE need of an Ace as an 82% underdog.
|
|
TURN: 6? |
|
This helps. Esposito has a flush draw. Any
diamond except the Queen wins it for him.
|
|
RIVER: 9? |
|
Q? Q?
10?
10? 9? |
10?
10? 6?
6? A? |
| WIN 5000 |
OUT - 18th
Place |
At least he gets to
talk with sideline commentator Susan Freeman, though
he wishes he didn't have to talk to her QUITE so
soon. Back to the table...
|
Mortensen
|
Giang
|
Wolfe
|
|
A? 10? |
Q?
Q? |
J?
7?
|
|
Mortensen raises 1500 with his "blackjack"...but
Giang has ANOTHER pair of Queens. Wolfe says,
"I'll call Giang, who called you (Mortensen)."
Giang is 59% to win. |
|
FLOP: J? J?
Q?
|
|
BOAT! Giang has a full
house! He's a 95% fave! Wolfe has three Jacks
and Mortensen has a straight draw. Mortensen
leads out with 3000... Giang calls...and Wolfe
raises to 8000. Mortensen folds...and Giang
calls.
|
|
TURN:
J?
|
|
ZOIKS! Wolfe had only a
4% chance of hitting that Jack...and he DOES!
He has four Jacks, which beats Giang's boat!
Wolfe bets 10,000...and Giang calls. Only the
fourth Queen can save Giang now.
|
|
RIVER:
6?
|
|
Giang is dead...but HOW
can you muck a full house?! He checks to
Wolfe...who puts Giang all-in. "You've got to
be kidding," Giang says. After muttering all
the possibilities out loud to himself and
standing up, he figures he can only lose to a
Jack... and he calls!
|
| |
Q? Q?
Q? J? J?
|
J? J? J?
J?
Q?
|
| |
OUT - 17th
Place
|
WIN 91,650
|
|
Paul Wolfe
|
130,325
|
CHIP COUNT - MAIN
TABLE
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
74,825
|
|
Jim Meehan
|
45,700
|
|
Kathy Leibert
|
18,600
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
16,550
|
|
Terry Myers
|
5500
|
|
Ed Pellergrini
|
3200
|
Giang is shocked at
the bad beat he took...but he shrugs it off and
says, "That's poker."
Meanwhile, on the outer table,...:
| Jones |
Hansen |
|
A? J? |
A?
K? |
|
COMMUNITY: J? 8?
Q? 10?
3?
|
|
...Jesse Jones, one of the founding members of
the WPPA, went all-in with the nut flush,
trying to force poker vet Thor Hansen out.
Hansen has "Broadway" (ace-high straight).
However, Hansen, being as experienced as he
is, mucks his hand.
|
As a tornament whittles down
players, players from outer tables move to inner
tables to even things out until a Final Table is
determined. In this case, David Troung has moved to
the seat once occupied by Chau Giang.
| Troung |
Myers |
| 5?
5? |
10?
10? |
|
Well, ain't THIS
interesting.
Troung rasies with his "speed limit" and runs
right into an all-in raise by Myers with his
"tension". Troung is getting decent "pot odds"
for his stack... so he calls. When they flip
the cards over, Troung knows he's an 81%
underdog.
|
FLOP: 3? 8? 7?
TURN: 5? |
|
There we go! Troung has "15 miles of bad
road". Myers needs a 10 to make 30
miles or he'll be taking a long walk home.
|
|
RIVER: K? |
| 5? 5?
5? K? 8? |
10? 10? K? 8?
7? |
| WIN 11,100 |
OUT - 16th
Place |
Terry Myers talks with
Susan and, like
Giang, shrugs it off. He had been short-stacked
so...he HAD to run with what he had.
|
Paul Wolfe
|
125,425
|
CHIP COUNT - MAIN
TABLE
| David
Troung |
81,125 |
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
78,700
|
|
Kathy Leibert
|
42,500
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
13,400
|
|
Jim Meehan
|
12,200
|
|
Ed Pellergrini
|
1300
|
OK, let's get a REAL hand
going here!
|
Leibert
|
Wolfe
|
Mortensen
|
Meehan
|
|
2?
2?
|
9?
8?
|
A? 10?
|
A?
Q?
|
|
26%
|
27%
|
17%
|
30%
|
| Now THAT'S
what I'm talking about! "Ducks", "blackjack",
"Big Chick" and...connectors in the same hand,
each with a decent chance of winning.
|
|
FLOP: 2? 9?
9?
|
|
75%
|
23%
|
1%
|
1%
|
| BOAT!
Leibert has the full house now...but we ALL know
that it's not safe. Wolfe has three nines...and
a fourth CAN beat it! They check around to
Mortensen, who (for some reason) bets 1500.
Wolfe calls, Meehan folds and Leibert calls.
|
|
76%
|
23%
|
1%
|
|
|
TURN:
6?
|
|
83%
|
17%
|
DEAD!
|
|
| Mortensen
can't shake the temptation to bet...and he does
with 6000. Wolfe calls...and Leibert, one of the
best female players in the world, raises to
all-in! Mortensen finally folds...and Wolfe
calls. He needs the final 9 (for "quads") an 8
or a 6 (to make a better full house) to knock
Leibert out. |
|
RIVER: 3?
|
|
2?
2? 2? 9?
9?
|
9? 9?
9?
8? 2?
|
|
|
|
WIN 42,550
|
|
|
|
Meanwhile, back in the outer
table...:
| Horton |
Van
Alstyne |
|
A? A? |
10?
10? |
|
FLOP: 9?
8? J?
|
|
...Dennis
Horton went all-in with the best
starting hand in Hold 'Em. Little does he
realize, though, that Kevin Val Alstyne has a
straight draw. Van Alstyne calls...
|
|
TURN:
Q?
|
|
...and, bada-bing! He gets the straight!
Horton's only shot is to get a King to put a
straight on the Board and split the pot.
|
|
RIVER: 3? |
|
A? A?
Q? J? 9? |
Q? J? 10? 9?
8? |
| OUT - 15th
Place |
WIN |
Back to the main table:
|
Mortensen
|
Pellegrini
|
Leibert
|
|
Q? J? |
A?
K? |
4? 4?
|
|
Mortensen raises just a little with his hand.
But Pellegrini, who designed the WPPA
Championship bracelet, goes all-in with "Big
Slick". Leibert calls as does Mortensen. This
means that a side pot is created between Leibert
and Mortensen. Pelligrini is the fave, though
not by much. |
|
FLOP: 7? 9?
8?
|
|
Mortensen is a little
better with a "gut-buster straight draw." But
it's checks all around between the two.
|
|
TURN:
6?
|
|
Straight draw on the
Board now. But, again, it goes check-check.
|
|
RIVER:
10?
|
|
That puts a straight on
the Board...but it ALSO gives Mortensen a
HIGHER straight! Leibert checks...and
Mortensen bets 3000. After pondering, Leibert
folds. Mortensen gets the 3000 back and rakes
in the main pot as well.
|
|
Q? J?
10? 9?
8?< /strong>
|
10? 9?
8? 7?
6?
|
|
|
WIN 7400
|
OUT - 14th
Place
|
|
At least Ed Pelligrini can take
pride in the fact that his bracelet will be worn by
some OTHER player. Take me to your leader...board:
|
Paul Wolfe
|
123,700
|
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
79,450
|
CHIP COUNT - MAIN
TABLE
| David
Troung |
69,300 |
|
Kathy Leibert
|
17,500
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
13,125
|
|
Jim Meehan
|
8950
|
| Meehan |
Cardoza |
|
6?
6? |
A? J? |
|
About
time "Minneapolis" Meehan
gets a good hand. He's a SLIGHT fave over
Cardoza's "Ajax" and Cardoza just calls.
|
|
FLOP: J? J? 3? |
|
Whoops. Cardoza has "trips" now and is a
MONSTER fave. Meehan goes all-in and is
QUICKLY called. Minneapolis HAS to get the
last 6 (one was folded) to stay alive.
|
TURN: 5?
RIVER: 3? |
| J? J?
6?
6? 5? |
J? J? J? 3?
3? |
| OUT - 13th
Place |
WIN 11,100 |
During the commercial break, Dan
Heimiller bombed on an all-in bet and departed in
12th place. Only one more must fall to have a Final
Table.
| Mortensen |
Truong |
| 6?
4? |
A?
J? |
|
Mortensen picked
a BAD time to try and bully out the Big Blind.
Truong re-raises to 6000. Mortensen calls,
hoping to see a Flop he likes and Truong does
not. He's 61% to lose.
|
|
FLOP: 5?
J?
10? |
|
Truong has jumped to a 94% fave with a pair.
When Mortensen checks, Truong bets 12,000.
Mortensen, hoping to steal the pot later on,
calls.
|
|
TURN: 8? |
|
A few more outs for Mortensen: a 7 will give
him a straight. He checks and Truong, who is
25 but was carded because he looks so young (I
can sadly relate), bets 22,000. Mortensen
raises another 22 Gs, bluffing that he has a
flush. After some thought, Truong calls. The
pot is over 125,000 now.
|
|
RIVER: 7? |
|
Holy @#$%! It was a 9% chance, but the 2001
WSoP Champ gets his straight! He checks yet
again, worried about a flush. But he knows he
has it locked when Truong checks as well.
Mortensen has won the biggest pot of the
tournament so far.
|
|
8?
7? 6? !
5? 4? |
J?
J?
A? 10?
8? |
| WIN 127,150 |
|
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
151,425
|
|
Paul Wolfe
|
140,650
|
CHIP COUNT - MAIN
TABLE
| David
Troung |
32,850 |
|
Kathy Leibert
|
32,350
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
20,925
|
| Liebert |
Mortensen |
| A?
2? |
10?
9? |
|
Liebert raises to
3000 with her "Acey-Deucey". Everyone folds to
Mortensen, who calls with his "suited
connectors". Liebert's 5-to-4 to win
.
|
|
FLOP: 6? 6? A? |
|
Liebert flopped two pair. She slow-plays and
checks. Mortensen bets 3000, representing an
Ace. But Leibert calls with HER Ace.
|
|
TURN: K? |
|
Both Liebert and Mortensen now has a flush
draw...but Liebert would have the nuts if
another club appears so Mortensen is drawing
dead. Liebert checks and, oddly enough, so
does Mortensen.
|
|
RIVER: 5? |
|
Both have flushes. Liebert bets 7000...and
Mortensen goes all-in. Liebert's not sure she
HAS the best hand, what with a 2 to go with
her Ace. After pondering and pondering, she
calls and goes all-in herself...meaning she
doubles-up.
|
| A? K?
6? 5? 2? |
K?
10?
9? 6? 5? |
| WIN 127,150 |
|
Cardoza is the short stack right
now...let's see if he can stay in the hunt for that
$10 million:
| Cardoza |
Wolfe |
| A?
6? |
10?
10? |
|
Cardoza calls
the Big Blind, but
Wolfe, with his "tension", raises to 8000.
Pot-committed as he is, Cardoza has no choice
but to go all-in...and pray Wolfe folds. But
Wolfe calls, meaning Cardoza (a 72% "dog") is
praying for an Ace.
|
|
FLOP: 4? K? 6? |
|
Wolfe's up 4-to-1 now. Cardoza can win with
another 6.
|
|
TURN: 5? |
|
No help; Cardoza's down to an 11% chance.
|
|
RIVER: 7? |
|
6? 6? A? K?
7?</ strong> |
10?
10? K?
7? 6?</! strong>
|
| OUT - 11th
Place |
WIN 49,600 |
And, with that, the
Final Table is set:
|
Paul Wolfe
|
161,575
|
|
Carlos Mortensen
|
118,075
|
CHIP COUNT - FINAL
TABLE
|
Bill Carroll |
105,225 |
|
Yohanes Muruz
|
71,925
|
|
Kathy Leibert
|
65,100
|
|
James Van Alstyne
|
57,225
|
|
Jesse Jones
|
52,500
|
|
Lee Markholt
|
50,300
|
|
David Troung
|
32,500
|
|
Avery Cardoza
|
4525
|
These ten will play
against each other for the eighth-of-a-million
promised prize and a shot at $10 million! |
